Gentry is one of the rare projects that panned out in the NFL. Tight end Zach Gentry returnsĭeFabo’s thoughts: The Steelers maintained continuity in their tight end room on Saturday, agreeing to terms with Zach Gentry, according to NFL Network. Pittsburgh should still be looking for starting-caliber defensive linemen in the draft (possibly one who could be an eventual replacement when Heyward retires), but Fehoko fills a need and helps round out the position group. Chris Wormley is still unsigned and recovering from a season-ending ACL injury. Grade: C - The Steelers do not have a lot of quality depth behind Ogunjobi and Cameron Heyward. Given the Steelers’ current depth chart and Fehoko’s resume, he’ll likely have to compete to earn a rotational role. The addition of Fehoko only continues that trend. Offensively, they added a starting offensive guard in Isaac Seumalo, provided some competition at guard with Nate Herbig and found a backup tackle in Le’Raven Clark. On defense, they re-signed starting defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi. The Steelers have made it a point to add competitive depth in the trenches this free-agency period. Over the entirety of his three-year career, Fehoko has played in 19 games and made four starts. The 6-foot-2, 295-pound defensive tackle appeared in a career-high nine games last year, with three starts. Breiden Fehoko adds DL depthĭeFabo’s thoughts: The Steelers agreed to terms with former Chargers defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko on Thursday, according to his agent, David Canter.įehoko, 26, began last season on the Chargers’ practice squad before injuries thrust him into the lineup. The question remains: Is Neal a replacement for Edmunds, or merely a depth piece to contribute rotationally on defense and on special teams? The answer to that question will determine how this signing pans out. Grade: B- The Steelers needed to address the secondary after Edmunds’ departure. But all that can change as free agency continues to unfold and the Steelers add players in the draft. All three could be on the field in the three-safety package that was effective last year, with Neal the most likely candidate to play in the box. That theoretically leaves Neal and Damontae Kazee to battle for the strong safety spot. Minkah Fitzpatrick will obviously be the starting free safety. It remains to be seen exactly how Neal fits in Pittsburgh’s depth chart. The Steelers needed to add depth at safety after Terrell Edmunds opted to sign a one-year, $2 million deal with the Eagles last week. He appeared in 17 games, making eight starts and accumulating 63 tackles for the Bucs. He transitioned back to strong safety last year in Tampa. The 6-foot, 211-pound Neal brings versatility and physicality to the Steelers’ defense, so much so that he opted to play linebacker for the Cowboys in 2021. Then, just three games into his comeback in 2019, he ruptured his Achilles and was again lost for the season. He tore his ACL one game into the 2018 season. However, injuries in back-to-back seasons robbed Neal of two years of his prime and likely changed the trajectory of his career. After his second season in Atlanta, he was selected to his first and only Pro Bowl. He racked up more than 100 tackles in each of his first two seasons, producing eight forced fumbles in his first 30 NFL games. “My brother is a huge fan of Keanu Reeves, so he was like ‘Keanu.’ (My mother) loved it and it stuck," Neal told reporters at the Combine in 2016Īfter he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, Neal quickly established himself as a big-time hitter. Here's the most important thing you need to know about new Steelers safety Keanu Neal: He was in fact named after actor Keanu Reeves. Neal, the 17th pick in the 2016 draft, visited the Steelers during his pre-draft process but was off the board well before Pittsburgh began addressing its secondary with the now-infamous additions of Artie Burns and Sean Davis. Hassenauer RB Jeremy McNicholsĭeFabo’s thoughts: The Steelers bolstered their secondary Thursday, agreeing to terms on a two-year deal with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Keanu Neal. Untendered restricted free agents (now UFAs) (2): OL J.C. Unrestricted free agents (9): QB Mason Rudolph RB Benny Snell FB Derek Watt WR Miles Boykin OL Jesse Davis DL Tyson Alualu DL Chris Wormley S Karl Joseph LB Marcus Allen Grades will be handed out with every incoming transaction.īig Board: Current best available free agentsįollow live: NFL free agency deals trackerĮstimated salary cap space: Approximately $6 million, according to Over the Cap This post will be updated as new roster moves are made. Below are the latest details on what the Steelers have done, where the salary cap stands and what the moves mean in the big picture.
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